My Brother’s Keeper (2)

Hello everyone,

How are you doing on this day? I hope well and bubbling in the Lord. We thank God for this last day of the month of July. I pray that the good Lord will perfect that which concerns you in Jesus name, amen.

Primary Text

“Now food [itself] will not cause our acceptance by God nor commend us to Him. Eating [food offered to idols] gives us no advantage; neither do we come short or become any worse if we do not eat [it]. Only be careful that this power of choice (this permission and liberty to do as you please) which is yours, does not [somehow] become a hindrance (cause of stumbling) to the weak or overscrupulous [giving them an impulse to sin]. For suppose someone sees you, a man having knowledge [of God, with an intelligent view of this subject and] reclining at table in an idol’s temple, might he not be encouraged and emboldened [to violate his own conscientious scruples] if he is weak and uncertain, and eat what [to him] is for the purpose of idol worship? And so by your enlightenment (your knowledge of spiritual things), this weak man is ruined (is lost and perishes) – the brother for whom Christ (the Messiah) died! And when you sin against your brethren in this way, wounding and damaging their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.” 1 Corinthians 8v8-12 (AMP)

Wow. God help us. 1 Corinthians 8v1 (AMP) says “Now about food offered to idols: of course we know that all of us posses knowledge [concerning these matters. Yet mere] knowledge causes people to be puffed up (to bear themselves loftily and be proud), but love (affection and goodwill and benevolence) edifies and builds up and encourages one to grow [to his full stature].” Beloved, knowledge is good, but we need to walk in love. You see, Romans 14v23 (AMP) says “But the man who has doubts (misgivings, an uneasy conscience) about eating, and then eats [perhaps because of you], stands condemned [before God], because he is not true to his convictions and he does not act from faith. For whatever does not originate and proceed from faith is sin [whatever is done without a conviction of its approval by God is sinful].” So the issue is, if you have knowledge about this particular thing, that’s good – you have a clear conscience before God. But if to your brother, he sees it as sinful, but because of you doing it, he stumbles, or his conscience is hurt or he is offended or weakened, then you cease to walk in love. And if he then goes ahead and does it even if he is not convinced that it is right, then he is sinning and stands condemned before God. The Bible tells us that if you have knowledge and you weaken your brother’s conscience in this way, you sin against God.

Supplementary Text

“You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right. But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.” Romans 14v22-23 (NLT)

Prayer

Father, we thank You for Your Word. We ask for mercy for anyway we have offended our brother or sister because of the choices we have made. Forgive us O Lord. We also pray that in anyway we have done things we were not convinced about, please forgive us. Above all, help us to grow in both the knowledge of You and Your ways and to exercise the love that is already shed abroad in our hearts by Your Spirit. All this we pray in Jesus name, amen.